Wall board



Jan. 15; 1929. 1,699,118

E. J. OBRIEN WALL BOARD original Filed m 9. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Z220 ljMfioR [0 A Aw I OZQ/P/E/V,

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Jan. 15, 1929. 1,699,118

E. J. O'BRIEN WALL BOARD Original Filed June 9. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 50 WA #0 J Oe/mew,

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Patented Jan. 15, 1929.

UNITED. snmi PATENT o FF liajE EDWARD J'. GI. GALIIDRNIA, AS$IGNOIQI Bl! Mm Amfllli T0? 0mm T; BMW, 01 WHOSE, CALIFUBNIAU WALL BOARD.

Application .flled June 9,1925. Serial No. 35,885. Renewedlnne 5,,1928i My invention relates to wall constructions. and particularly toa novel form of w all board adapted for use in such constructions.

It is commonpractice. in the building industry to form Walls of vertical studs to which latlis are nailed. The laths areplaced a short distance apart to provide small spaces therebetween. The laths are covered with plaster which com fletes the wall. The plus ter enters the spaces between the laths and is thus keyed thereto. \Vall board has come into general use because it is cheaper than lath. Wall board consists of a layer of plaster interposed of two layers of paper. Vail board has one marked disadvantage,- however. After plasterhas been applied to a surface,

moisture of the plaster. is absorbed by the wall board, which absorption results in an expanding and buckling of the wall board. The finishiedwvall is therefore irregular and such buckling sometimesresults in a subsequent cracking of the wall:

It is an object ofimy invention to provide a wall board which may expand without buckling.

It is anotherobject of my intention tepro vide a wall board having novel means which permit an internal expansion; thus eljlllllllilt' ing' any buckling.

It a still further objectof my invention to provide a wall. board having keys for plaster. The wall board is so designed that the plaster will be keyed thereto, butthere will be saved approximately of plaster in comparison with the plaster required onordinary laths.

Itisa still ftirtherobjectof my invention to provide Wall board having a novel form oi: end member which prevents splitting when the wall board is secured in place.

Other objects and advantagesofthis in vention will be madeevident hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings inwhich Iillus trate my invention:

Fig. l is face view ofa sheet ofa wall board of my invention.

Fig.-2 is a fragmentary View of my invention, lacing members being instelledlon the Fig. 0 is a section taken on the li11e31-3 ot Fig 2 clearly showing the means offmv' lnvention for permittingexpansion oft-lib sheet without buckling. ii

F g. 4 is a sectiontaken on the line oi Fig. 2, clearly showing themanner of bendfi mg strips of the sheet shown in 1.

Fig. 5 a view similar to l igi, 3. but showing the wall board after plaster hasbcen applied thereto and after it has expanded? Fig. 6 is a sectiontaken on the line clearly SllbWlIlg the end member ofhnv irb vention. i i

Fig. '7 is a face view ofthe wall 1 board shown in Fig. 2 expanded bynioistnre.

lVith particular reference to l my. invention provides a sheet ll which is prefer ably made from a thin layer of wonder in some cases may be made of cardboard or: metal. The sheettll is provided withrows of primary slits 12, secondary slits 1i and. tertiary slits 16; As clearlyshown in Ftig;;;- 1, these slits are in" stepped irelationship and t overlap one another a distancesubstantially half their length. Betweenadjacentslits of the rows narrow strips 17 andwide strips 1B- are formed. At the center ofeach slit 1%, 14 or 16 and in adjacent strips 17 juxtapositioned expansion notches 20 are formed.

As shown clearly llliFiQfQQ, lacings are extended through the overlapping ends of the slits 12 and ll. 14 and 16; and 116 and line thatthe narrow strips 171 willlbe deflected tor bent from thesheetlhin one direction and so that the wide strips 18*will be bentfrom the sheet 11 in an opposite direction. This is clearly shown in Fig, 4. The stripsl'Pa-nd l8 cross each others-at thecenter of the slits 12, 14 and lGWllUlG notches-.20 are provided; As clearly shown in Fig. 4, the bendingoi the strips 17 and 18 disaligns the notches to the extentthatthe'side walls thereofare in different planes and will not it contaeti An end strip 27 is provided having slet- 28 and 29 formed therein. the slots 28 and29t being relatively offset. Asis obwious from 2, between the ends of theslits 12; 14W 16 of any row thereoam-fonmedipaira oih strips, a-inarrow strip undo. with strips The end piece 27 is installed on the end oi the sheet 11 so that alternate pairs of strips extend through the slots 28 and Other al ternate pairs of strips extend below the end piece 27, shown clearly in (5.

In securing the wall board of my invention to studs of the wall construction, nails 31, are driven through Wide strips 18 and through interlacings 23. Nails 33 are also driven through the end piece 27, these nails passing through certain of the wide strips 18.

After the wall board has been installed in place the plaster is applied on the surface thereof, as indicated at 35 in Fig. 5. its previously mentioned, moisture is absorbed from the plaster by the wall hoard, thus causing the wall board to exp-and. he strips 17 and 180;? he sheet 11 expand troin the size shown in Figs. 2 and 3 to the size shown in Figs. 5 and 7. By bending the strips 1? and 18 out of alignment and by providing expansion notches 20 at the point of intersection of these strips, it is possible for them to eiipan d without interference, thus eliminating a buckling of the wall board. The strips Ti? and 18 may expand until the bottoms of the notches 20 engage, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7. When the plaster hardens, the strips 17 and are rigidly locked in the position shown in Fig. 5.

By bending the strips 17 and 18 by use of the lacings 23 it is possible to provide key depressions 37 in the surface or the sheet 11. When plaster is applied to the wall board it is forced into these depressions 37 and securely locks the plaster in place to the wall board.

By providing the end piece 27 as shown in Figs. 2 and 6, it is possible to have end protection for the sheet 11 and to reduce the tendency of splitting when the nails 33 are driven therethrough. It is found in practice that without the end piece 27 the sheet 11 Would splinter, thus making an insecure attachment. The end piece 2? is of such a character that the pairs of strips 17 and 18 are woven tl'ierethrough so as to hold it in place.

The principal feature of my invention is to provide a wall board which will not buckle. This is accomplished by the provision of the notches 20 which as previously mentioned, allow relative expansion between adjacent. strips. It is possible to make the wall board from the very cheapest material due to the fact that any buckling from expansion is eliminated. The cheaper woods absorb con siderably more moisture than the more or;- pensive woods and therefore have a higher coethcient of expansion. I have made wall boards similar to the one shown in my drawings, but without the expansion joints. These walls boards I made from the expensive woods which have a low co-eilicient of expansion. The cost of these woods is prohibitive to their use in Wall board however.

With my expansion joint it is possible to make a wall board as shown in the drawings from a cheap and highly expansible material without buckling when the plaster is applied thereto. The use of the interlacings in bending the strips 17 and 1.8 provides novel key depressions which serve to secure the plaster in place.

I claim as my invention:

1. ii. wall board comprising: a sheet having slits cut therein thus forming strips, there being jinitapositioned notches formed in ad jacent strips; and lacings extending through said slits for disaligning said juxtapositioned notches.

9.. A wall board. comprising: a sheet having slits cut therein thus forming strips, there being justapositioned notches formed in adjacent strips; and lacings extending through said slits on both sides of said notches, said lacings bending said strips in a manner to disalign said notches.

3. A Wall board comprising a sheet having overlapping slits cut therein thus forming strips, there being juatapositioned notches termed in adjacent strips; and lacings cxtending through said slits :tor disaligning said juatapositioned notches.

-l-. A wall board comprising a sheet having overlapping slits cut therein thus forming strips, there being juxtapositioned notches formed in adjacent strips; and lacings extending through said slits on both sides of said notches, said lacings bending said strips in a manner to disalign said notches.

5. A wall board comprising: a sheet having rows of primary, secondary and tertiary slits arranged in overlapping relationship, said slits forming pairs of strips between each slit of each row, there being juxtapositioned notches formed in adjacent strips; lacings ere tending through said rows oi slits for bending said strips, thus disaligning said juxtapositioned notches; and an end piece having slots,

said end piece being placed on the end oi said sheet so that alternate pairs of strips extend through said slots.

6. A wall board sheet comprising: a sheet oi? flexible material having overlapping parallcl slits cut therein to provide strips and cooperating expansion notches formed in the adjacent strips.

7. A wall board sheet comprising: a sheet of flexible material having overlapping slits cut therein to provide strips, each slit being appreciably enlarged transversely at a point aligned with the ends of the adjacent slits.

8. A'wall board sheet comprising: a sheet of flexible material having overlapping slits cut therein to provide strips and cooperating expansion notches formed in the adjacent strips.

9. A wall board sheet comprising: a sheet of flexible material having parallel slits cut therein and disposed in overlapping relation to an extent of approximately one-half their respective lengths and transversely spaced to provide wide and narrow strips alternating transversely and longitudinally of said sheet, each slit defining one edge of a. wide strip and one edge of the longitudinally adjacent narrow strip, the adjacent edge of each strip being notched to provide an expansion opening at opposite ends of each strip.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set 10 my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 3rd day of June, 1925.

EDWARD J. OBRIEN. 

